The Return of the CiKatA
by Joseph the Weasel
Summary: The return of the ci-kat-a beware, graphic voilence ahead! Thank you Uyferal for helping me.
1. Dr N Zyme returns, and so do others

Things had finally quieted down in Megakat City after a string of events precipitated by the super criminals: destruction of refineries by a guy named Morbulus who vanished when he fell into the ocean; walking bacterias caused by Viper that destroyed a great deal of the Megakat Biochemical Labs...Viper unfortunately escaped...again and Dr. Zyme disappeared after the bacteria grabbed him; and finally the MASA complex and Nuclear Power Plant had been trashed by an alien bug brought back by a space probe sent by Dr. Harley Street...who had been altered by the bugs and then killed by the SWAT Kats. All in all a very busy few months...par for the course for this constantly harassed city.

Though most thought Dr. Zyme had been killed by the bacteria, he actually had been saved by the SWAT Kats killing it before it could eat him. However, he had been seriously hurt and rushed to the hospital. Only a handful of Kats knew he wasn't dead: his boss, Commander Feral, the emergency crew and the hospital staff. For a while, it was feared Zyme wouldn't make it but his will was strong and the care he received top notch so after a couple of months, he was finally walking out the doors of the hospital, healthy and happy to be alive.

After spending a nice, quiet weekend at home, he headed to work for the first time in a long while, early Monday morning. Parking his car, he walked toward the main entrance. As he entered and paused at the guard station, the director of the facility was just emerging from the nearby elevator.

"Dr. Zyme! I hadn't been aware you'd recovered. You look very well!" Director Prentice said, pleased and amazed as he hurried up to greet the scientist.

"Thank you, Director Prentice. I feel wonderful and glad to be back to work. Is my office still available?" Zyme asked warmly.

"Of course. Until we heard otherwise, we kept your office just as you left it, though we did clean it up and replaced the window that horrible creature broke," the director told him then turned to the guard who was listening to their conversation. "Harry, give him a temporary pass for today until we reinstate his security."

"Yes sir." The guard handed Zyme a sign in board then reached under the counter and gave the scientist a temp badge.

After signing in and clipping the badge to his lab coat, Dr. Zyme smiled at the director who grinned back and led the way to the elevators. They stepped aboard the car and the director pressed the button for Zyme's floor.

"Things haven't been the same since you left, so I'm very glad you could return to us. I do have some papers you have to sign to reestablish your security clearance and before you can handle the Katalyst once more," Prentice told him quietly.

"I understand. It will take me a bit to sort out my projects and get started again anyway," Zyme agreed, easily.

They stepped out of the elevator together and walked down the hallway till they came to Zyme's lab door. The Director unlocked the door and gestured the doctor to go ahead of him then followed. Going to the doctor's desk, the director activated the computer while Zyme looked around his lab getting refamiliar with it. Moments later, the director called him to the desk.

"Here you go. Fill these out and make sure I get them on my desk before end of day. Have a good first day back. If you have any problems with anything just give me a call," the director said warmly then left the doctor to his work.

Zyme sighed and smiled as he got down to work. First he completed the security forms then set them aside before going through his desk.

While Zyme was getting caught up, a certain, well known, techno thief, Hard Drive was preparing to raid Megakat Biochemical Labs of their most recent formulas they'd developed on some pretty dangerous gasses that could change the face of biological warfare. He needed cash quickly as he was nearly broke. He'd had to keep low to stay out from the enforcers radar but he could wait no longer.

He decided going to the labs would throw the enforcers off his scent because biochemical stuff was not normally his thing. He checked the time and saw he had several hours before he could sneak into the labs so he went off to do some errands, catch a nap, and eat dinner.

Hours had passed as Dr. Zyme worked at his desk. It was getting rather warm so he turned a nearby fan on the desk on, the refreshing wind went though the fur on his face, cooling him. He stretched his arms and shook out his paws before continuing his work. When next he looked up, he noted it was nearing quitting time. He got up and quickly hurried off to deliver the security papers to the director's office. He paused at the security counter to tell the guard he was planning on staying late and signed the guard's entry form again to show that then he returned to his office to continue catching up.

Strange equations left from a previous scientist's project had to be solved and that had kept him occupied for some time. As he worked, a strange sound rose from nearby. Frowning, he paused to look around, trying to determine what it was.

As his gaze swept over the fan on his desk, it chose that moment to spark with a bright blue energy burst which spat out past him and landed on the floor before his desk. The energy immediately took the form of a familiar criminal.

Zymed gasped, "Hard Drive!"

Hard Drive stared at him in surprise than gave a deep chuckle, "well, well, isn't this a surprise. I thought I heard Viper had killed you...well I guess I'll just have to correct that little misconception, eh?" He laughed as he raised his paw, aiming at the doctor.

"Wait! Why kill me?" Zyme asked, frightened and angry to be under attack again.

"Because you've seen me and no one is going to keep me from the formulas I came here to steal and tell anyone, least of all, the enforcers about it!" Hard Drive said coldly then shot blue bolts of electricity at the scientist.

Zyme threw himself backwards from his chair, after hitting the panic button for security, and fell to the floor then scrambled away to hide under one of the lab tables. Besides various scientific tools of the trade, a container holding vials of different Katalysts sat within reach of Zyme's paw. Thinking fast, he grabbed the one closest to him and without looking at the label which said 'Katalyst 005' on it, he tossed it with all his strength at Hard Drive who was just preparing to fire his energy at the scientist again.

Hard Drive's aim was ruined when the vial smashed against his lower jaw and neck, bursting into pieces and spraying its contents over his fur. The errant bolt of energy hit a wall causing plaster to spray everywhere and making a loud booming noise.

The solution seeped into the would be thief's body quickly and, almost instantly, the tom felt strange, his skin beginning to feel tingly. Frightened and knowing the guards were on the way, he changed to energy once more and escaped through the fan.

Only moments later, two security guards burst into the lab, guns raised and yelling, "Freeze!" But they were too late. Seeing there was no one but the scientist there, they moved to check him out and inspect the damage done to the wall.

"Dr. Zyme" one said, "we got here as fast we could when you hit the alarm. What happened here?"

"It was Hard Drive. He was here to steal something and was going to kill me because I saw him. I managed to drive him off by hitting him with one of the Katalyst's. I don't know which one," Zyme explained, standing up then looking over the other vials.

One of the guards looked down at the floor, where he saw the broken bits of the vial and a few droplets of katalyst there. "What's this?" He said, kneeling down to inspect the liquid.

"Don't touch that!" Dr. Zyme warned him. "It's Katalyst 005 and it's very dangerous. If it came into contact with one's skin, they would suffer hallucinations of persecution, making that person very paranoid."

"And you hit Hard Drive with this?" The guard asked.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry but I grabbed the first vial that came to paw."

"It's alright sir, you did what you had to in protecting yourself. Don't touch anything or clean up. I have to contact the enforcers and they'll want to check the scene first," the guard warned him. "They'll also want to get a statement from you so don't leave." With the that the guard pulled out his radio and made the call while the other guard left to let the enforcers in since the building was locked for the night.

Meanwhile, behind the transformer at the rear of the lab, Hard Drive had appeared and was standing dazed and confused. The first effects of Katalyst 005 were manifesting themselves in the form of spiders the tom thought were crawling all over him and searing pain from where the katalyst had hit his throat. In reality, though, he was only bleeding a little from the glass but his fur was falling out at the site.

His mind firmly believing he was covered in spiders and burning with pain, Hard Drive screamed and clawed at himself violently, his surge coat hampering him and driving his panic even higher. Suddenly, a cold voice managed to penetrate his panic, while clawed paws of steely strength held his own paws from moving. Panting wildly, Hard Drive found himself staring into the glowing eyes of Dr. Viper.

"Hello Hard Drive." The insane mutated scientist's sinister voice crept into his ears. "Dr. Zyme got the besssst of you, did he?" Hard Drive shrieked in terror and struggled to get away but Viper held him tightly with ease.

"Do not be frightened by me," Dr. Viper said easily to the terrified tom, his hissing tones almost impossible to understand. "I sssssee you have been infected by Katalysssst 005. I can cure you but first you need to help me!"

"No!" Hard Drive gasped, frantically still trying to get free of the mutated Kat. "You're going to turn me into a monster!"

Viper just laughed. "No, I won't do that because I need you just the way you are."

"I don't believe you! Let me go!" Hard Drive shouted desperately.

"The katalyst you were hit with will make you so paranoid you will live in fear every waking moment of your life until you can't stand it any longer and kill yourself or be killed by someone else," Viper told him flatly.

Hard Drive sobbed in terror. It was soo hard to think but finally he realized he had no choice. "Fine! Cure me! Make it stop and I'll help you!" He shouted in resignation.

"Excellent! Then we mussssst get out of here as thossse fool enforcersssss are nearly here. Then we'll discuss my plan!" Dr. Viper said, pleased then yanked on Hard Drive's arm, pulling him toward an open manhole that lead down to the sewers. "Climb down!" He released Hard Drive who struggled to fight off the hallucinations as he climbed down the ladder into the dark followed by Viper who pulled the manhole cover back into place before dragging his new minion through the sewers.


	2. A skirmish,

Chapter 2

The next morning, the city rose to some interesting news. Chance and Jake had risen and opened their garage for the day but nothing was pending nor were there any calls, so they grabbed some breakfast and took it down to their waiting area, sitting down on their old ratty couch to watch some TV.

"Good morning, Ann Gora here with your morning report. At the top of the news today is the robbery attempt and attack at Megakat Biochemical Labs, late last night. It appears the techno thief known as Hard Drive tried to steal something from the lab but was stopped by Dr. Zyme who managed to throw a katalyst at him which drove off the criminal. The search for him is ongoing. The public is asked to keep a look out for him but are warned not to approach him for any reason. The chemical thrown at Hard Drive is said to make a person very paranoid so he can be considered even more dangerous than usual. Other news this morning..."

Chance and Jake failed to hear anymore of the report as they gasped in unison, "Dr. Zyme!"

"I thought that guy was dead, at least that's what I heard the enforcers say when that bacteria grabbed him from the lab," Chance said, shaking his head.

"Well, it looks like he managed to escape somehow in one piece," Jake said, equally amazed.

"Not many escape Viper with their life intact. He's one lucky tom, is all I can say," Chance commented, shutting off the TV as a call for a tow came in over their answering machine.

Jake could only agree as he got up to and followed his friend out.

A little later that morning, near the M.A.S.A Space Center, Hard Drive was wreaking havoc with a new prototype enforcer tank he'd managed to steal from Pumadyne without any alarm going off. He wasn't alone either. To everyone's surprise, he was accompanied by an army of mutant plants. Though the enforcers as quick as they could, they were hampered in their efforts to capture Hard Drive because they were seriously hampered by the acid-spitting mutations.

Commander Feral was in a tank with his most trusted sergeant driving him. He fired his twin cannons, managing to destroy a clot of plants, but there were still hundreds more of them charging his troops.

"Choppers move in!" Feral barked into his radio while he continued to fire at the plants trying to over run him.

Lt. Felina Feral and her aid, the demoted Lt. Commander Steele who was now only a second lieutenant, were in the lead chopper. They began to fire on the mutant plants, managing to help the tanks shrink their numbers but before they could wipe them out completely, a new threat appeared.

A swarm of giant mutated wasps swept in from no where and began firing stingers that were hard enough to penetrate the choppers skins and cutting off the aircraft's blades. Soon Felina was out numbered by the flying things and losing her squadron very quickly.

While this mega battle was going on outside, Dr. Viper had stealthily penetrated M.A.S.A. and entered the former lab of Dr. Harley Street. He was hoping the lab was still intact and had not been cleared out of its previous occupant's work.

As he slipped in past security and into the locked and darken lab, he was pleased to find everything was still here. He quickly rifled through files until he found what he was looking for then, after a further search of the labs cooling units, he chortled in pleasure as he pulled out a strange small container at the back of one of the coolers. Grinning evilly, he tucked the two items in a carry bag and quickly made his way back out.

He couldn't believe his good fortune. Normally the enforcer CSI unit would have removed all traces of what had happened in the lab. All he could think of was someone had dropped the ball which was all to the good for him. Now he could move on with his evil plans.

Outside, Feral had his paws full. No matter how many of the mutations his troops tried to destroy, more were right behind them. His force had been badly decimated with only three tanks and ten choppers remaining. He'd called for back up but it hadn't arrived yet.

Above, Felina and that fool Steele were doing an excellent job of flying and shooting. He was almost jealous he couldn't be up there with them. He was glad he had demoted Steele and sent him back to flying school and extra physical training. The tom had finally come back an efficient enforcer.

As his tank took another blow from a flying bug, Feral was actually wishing the SWAT Kats were here as he was worried what would happen to the city if these things managed to escape from here. Just as the thought passed through his mind, a roar filled the air and shook his tank. Using his monitor, he saw it was the Turbokat arriving. He unconsciously sighed in relief.

Above the scene, Razor fired cement shot and match head missiles at the flying wasps, clearing the sky of them then turned their energies on the acid-spitters by using a new freeze ray, Razor had developed.

Hard Drive hissed to himself as he saw his allies be destroyed leaving him alone. As the Turbokat turned its attention on him, he switched to anti-aircraft missiles and fired at the jet.

T-Bone, however, easily dodged the attack and returned to allow Razor to send a plain old missile toward the tank. It bounced off the force field the tank sported so Razor fired a scrambler missile which took down the field and shorted out the tank.

Razor thought that was enough and was shocked when an enforcer chopper swooped in and fired another missile, blowing the tank up completely. A body was thrown from the wreckage.

"Whoah! The enforcers are getting a bit bloodthirsty, buddy."

"Yeah, I thought they were supposed to capture the bad guys but I guess this fight got the better of them and pissed them off," T-Bone commented. "Want to land?"

"Yeah, we need to find out who stole that tank and why there were Viper's mutants around."

T-Bone found a cleared space to land and set the Turbokat down. Next to him an enforcer chopper landed as well. Rolling up to them came a tank.

Leaping down, the pair stared in surprise when Lt. Feral and Steele climbed from the chopper. Feral climbed out of his tank to walk toward them all.

"Thanks for the timely assist, SWAT Kats," Felina grinned, giving them a high five.

"You're welcome, lieutenant. Always happy to help the enforcers," T-Bone said, smugly.

"At least you two hot shots know when you can be useful," Feral said, reluctantly thanking them as well, earning him startled looks from the pair.

"Hey, Razor is that really Feral thanking us or did someone replace him?" T-Bone said, a bit tongue in cheek. Feral glared at him but didn't comment back.

Razor was nicer about it, soothing Feral's temper by saying, "you're welcome Commander. Sorry about the tank though. Who was driving it and why was Viper's little pets around?"

"Hard Drive stole the tank from Pumadyne then came here. I think he was supposed to be a distraction for Dr. Viper, though its hard to think of the two of them working together," Feral grunted. Concern and confusion in his tone.

Razor didn't much like the implications of that. "Then where is Viper?"

Before Feral could answer, a microphone was suddenly shoved in his face.

"Commander Feral, that was some battle you all fought. Who were the enemy?" Ann Gora asked, a bit breathlessly as she had run to be here to interview them before they took off.

Going into interview mode, even though he was irritated the press managed to get through the enforcer blockade, he said bluntly, "we suspect Dr. Viper engaged the assistance of Hard Drive to steal something from here."

"Do you have any idea what it might be?" She asked eagerly, smelling a big story.

"No. An investigation will be started to determine that. No further comment," he said, raising a paw to put a stop to the interview then stalked away to begin a search for Viper, the SWAT Kats moving off with him.

Disappointed and annoyed, Ann went to speak with the chopper crew but Felina had followed her uncle leaving Steele behind with the chopper. He smirked as the reporter came up to him.

"Lieutenant Steele, you and Lt. Feral did a good job up there. Do you have any comments you'd like to make?"

"Yes," Steele said smugly "The enforcers had the situation under control and did not need the interference of the SWAT Kats to take care of the matter."

"Weren't you out numbered ten to one," Ann Gora asked silkily, "...and if it wasn't for the SWAT Kats suddenly arrival, you would be dead right now?"

Steele's face reddened in anger and humiliation as he stuttered, "Eeeerrrr, what I mean is..."

"Shut up! Steele!" Feral barked, coming back to his tank again. "Don't embarrass yourself any further!" Steele shut up instantly.

"Commander! Did you find Viper?"

Grimacing unhappily, Feral admitted, "no...obviously he slipped away while we were still dealing with Hard Drive and, no..." he interrupted her before Ann could ask another question he could see in her eyes. "...we don't know yet what he might have wanted in the labs. That is all."

Ann knew that was all she was going to get out of him so went back to her news fan to report what she did know.

Behind her, the SWAT Kats prepared to leave but Razor still needed to say something to Feral. "Commander, we really need to know what Viper took. It can't be good so we need to try and find out so we can at least be prepared for when that creep shows himself again," he said grimly.

Feral would normally just tell them to mind their own business and the enforcers would handle this problem but he knew, with what Viper was capable of, not getting all the help he could get, could wind up with them all dead.

"I'll let you know if we find out anything though what that slimy lizard could have wanted here is beyond me," he murmured.

"Me too. I'll be waiting for your call," Razor said grimly then he and T-Bone leaped back into their jet.

As T-Bone piloted the jet home, he spoke to Razor through their radios, "wow, buddy...I would have never thought Feral would actually be willing to give us info!"

"That's because he's just as scared as I am about what Viper could be cooking up now."

T-Bone didn't respond to that but a shiver of fear went down his back. He sensed they were in for a terrible time when Viper showed up again.


	3. Chapter 3

Dr. Viper was hurrying through the dark fetid sewers tunnels to escape the battle he'd been responsible for, clutched tightly in his paw was a white sheet of paper, he'd risked all for including Hard Drive. He was a little miffed at losing his pawn but felt it was worth it to get this precious document.

Suddenly, his pathway was blocked by an army of creeplings, their eyes and chittering sounds echoing eerily around them. Viper froze then made an abortive move to go back the way he came but a cold voice halted him in his tracks.

Out of the darkness, Dark Kat approached from behind his creeplings. "Well, if it isn't Dr. Viper," his powerful voice boomed. "Your siege was impressive I must say, but it's a shame you lost Hard Drive, he would have made a worthy ally."

"What do you want, Dark Kat?" Dr. Viper hissed, nervously

"Why, all I want is that paper you went through so much trouble to get," Dark Kat chuckled, evilly. "Get it!" He coldly ordered his creeplings.

"Ack!" Viper yelled as he tried to fend off the hoard of pink creatures that suddenly descended on him. He didn't stand a chance as one of the creatures managed to yank the precious document from his paw and knocked him over.

The victorious creepling swiftly flew the paper back to Dark Kat who took it, smiling triumphantly. "So, let's just see what was so important that you were willing to risk capture for it," he mused, bringing the paper up to read it.

"Journal entry 385, Dr. Harley Street. The queen has laid yet another new brood. However, one of the spawn seemed different in some way. I inspected its features and discovered it was another queen. The present queen, I was sure, would have this usurper killed if she learned of it. I had a sudden idea, it might get me killed if she learned of what I intended but for the good of the hive, I thought it was worth the risk of saving this one. Taking the newborn queen, I wrapped her in an artificial cocoon that functioned as a suspended animation chamber and would keep her alive but frozen in time so that she wouldn't age. Then I secretly buried her behind the Megakat Biochemical Labs transformers so that her cocoon would be kept powered and no one would know about it. She would be insurance if our invasion plans failed. Her survival will allow us to try again."

A smile of cold pleasure spread across the odd Kat's face. "So, you think to revive this queen and create havoc with the Ci-Kat-A once more, eh? Well, I think that's a wonderful idea and one I'll take charge of but don't worry, you'll still be part of it because I'll need your help since I'm not versed in biology. It will take your skills to revive this queen and when you do, together we'll bring this city to its knees."

Viper scowled unhappily but said nothing. He would have to bide his time and turn the tables on the huge laughing hyena. No one stole from Viper.


End file.
